poeTRYhealing is a three-hour live, online class on Saturday, June 28 from 9-12 CT led by Cassie Premo Steele, Ph.D., an award-winning poet and author of the groundbreaking book, We Heal from Memory: Sexton, Lorde, Anzaldúa and The Poetry of Witness.
The class will introduce participants to a diverse group of poets who use poetry as a way to heal from individual and collective trauma: Gloria Anzaldúa, Ellen Bass, Joy Harjo, Yusef Komunyakaa, Audre Lorde, Anne Sexton, and Ocean Vuong.
No prior experience with writing is necessary, and each poet's work will be read for the emotional healing power it presents, and specific elements of what makes a poem effective as a form of witness and recovery will be explored.
An essential part of our gathering will be to give ample time during the class for students to respond to the poetry by writing journal entries or poems of their own based on carefully crafted writing prompts.
All writing will be kept private to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for all.
Everyone is welcome, and this will be a supportive, caring, and non-competitive experience where students—from those just beginning their writing journeys to those with expertise in writing, teaching, publishing, or the mental health professions-- can explore the healing power of poetry.
The class will introduce participants to a diverse group of poets who use poetry as a way to heal from individual and collective trauma: Gloria Anzaldúa, Ellen Bass, Joy Harjo, Yusef Komunyakaa, Audre Lorde, Anne Sexton, and Ocean Vuong.
No prior experience with writing is necessary, and each poet's work will be read for the emotional healing power it presents, and specific elements of what makes a poem effective as a form of witness and recovery will be explored.
An essential part of our gathering will be to give ample time during the class for students to respond to the poetry by writing journal entries or poems of their own based on carefully crafted writing prompts.
All writing will be kept private to ensure a safe and nurturing environment for all.
Everyone is welcome, and this will be a supportive, caring, and non-competitive experience where students—from those just beginning their writing journeys to those with expertise in writing, teaching, publishing, or the mental health professions-- can explore the healing power of poetry.
Cassie Premo Steele, Ph.D., is a queer ecofeminist poet, novelist, trauma scholar and writing coach living out and proud in the American South. Her extensive body of work encompasses evocative poetry, insightful essays, and explorations of ecofeminist philosophy. Steele's writing resonates with readers by intertwining themes of women's and LGBTQ+ experiences, spirituality, psychology, and nature, forming a tapestry of thought-provoking narratives.
As an advocate for environmental consciousness and gender and sexuality equality, her words bridge the gap between the personal and the ecological. Her acclaimed works, such as We Heal from Memory and Earth Joy Writing, reveal her deep-rooted commitment to the natural world and trauma-informed writing as ways to inspire change.
Her most recent book is the new novel, Beaver Girl, which was the 2024 One Book, One Community selection for the city of Columbia, South Carolina, where she lives with her wife and their intergenerational queer family.
As an advocate for environmental consciousness and gender and sexuality equality, her words bridge the gap between the personal and the ecological. Her acclaimed works, such as We Heal from Memory and Earth Joy Writing, reveal her deep-rooted commitment to the natural world and trauma-informed writing as ways to inspire change.
Her most recent book is the new novel, Beaver Girl, which was the 2024 One Book, One Community selection for the city of Columbia, South Carolina, where she lives with her wife and their intergenerational queer family.